But it's still on the list . . .

November 2008

11/26/2008

From a recent patent filing by my new favorite bailoutee (it used to be Citigroup):

A typical American employee demands a high salary, good
benefits, a good work environment, vacation time, and other job-related
perks such as reimbursement for higher education. These job-related perks
are expensive and may not be cost-effective for the business entity.

If you're working for Bank of America today, you might want to consider other employment. You know, before they consider it for you. So that the CEO can have another ivory backscratcher. In fact, I'd go so far as to call for a wholesale strike today by every "typical American employee" in the company. I'm just saying . . .

Last time I checked, that's called a free market economy. If I'm the only one with the goods, I get to charge whatever the fuck I like for them. Clearly, Bank of America would rather (a) employ cheap morons (e.g. anyone still working for them after remarks like this) or (b) institute wholesale communism for the workforce (excepting CEOs, I'd imagine) so that everyone is paid the same regardless of skills or value to the company.

If I had money in Bank of America, it'd be on it's way out right about now. I don't trust morons or commies with my money.

11/25/2008

That's how much you (except for Jenni and MrsPeel, who aren't here in America) owe the government for their $7.7 trillion dollar bailout of Wall Street. That's more than the Iraq war cost. That's more than the Savings and Loan bailout in the 90s. More than any government meddling, in fact, since the New Deal.

I defy anyone to show me one job it's saved.

One loan it's created.

One easement of the credit markets.

One net positive result.

Show me!

Oh, right, CEOs get to keep their fucking ivory backscratchers, and shareholders get their dividends. Both, apparently, out of my wallet.

Fuck you, Wall Street, with something hard and sandpapery.

Bernanke says:

"Some have asked us to reveal the names of the banks that are borrowing, how much they are borrowing, what collateral they are posting," Bernanke said Nov. 18 to the House Financial Services Committee. "We think that’s counterproductive."

And what have you done, Bernanke, that isn't counterproductive? What's one more counterproductive thing for you to do, against the backdrop of raging incompetence that has defined your tenure? You're going to be first against the fucking wall, amigo.

Apparently, Bush's last major fuck-you action in the White House will be the New New Deal, only this time, the general citizenry gets nothing except a steep bill for them and their children, and likely their grandchildren.

Maybe, maybe, Obama's plan to inject money into infrastructure projects will work better. It should keep construction companies employed. After all, it worked for FDR, with the WPA, right? Hell, we got the Hoover Dam and Boulder City, NV, out of government money. At least we'd have something to show for it. Hope. Right? Of course, he voted for the bailout, too. But they keep telling me I can believe in change.

Can't be worse than what we're doing now, which is giving money to Wall Street cocksucking parasites to line their fat ass pockets.

11/24/2008

I frequent a coffee shop by the name of Maui Wowi. Don't know how prevalent it is, but it's close to my work, and that's how I started going there. It's become my coffee shop of choice.

They have great service, excellent coffee, all the things that make a coffee shop nice to go to.

But they really went above and beyond today.

On Friday, I purchased my usual coffee and, for a laugh, a blueberry muffin. I managed, somehow, to walk out without my muffin. I don't know how, and I didn't even really miss it at all.

Today, when I walked in, the wonderful lady who runs the shop said, "You forgot something last week."

"What?"

"Your muffin."

"What?"

"You ordered a muffin on Friday, I think, and you forgot it."

"Oh! I did? I clearly forgot about it."

"Well, clearly. Here, I'll give you a fresh one."

Wow.

Seriously. Wow. Or possibly Wowi.

She remembered me. And she remembered that I got a muffin. And that I forgot it. Last week. And she gave me one today, for all of 0 dollars and 0 cents. Now, true, I paid for it last week. But, hell, I didn't even remember that I ordered it that day, much less this week.

Come to think of it, I vaguely recall a slightly higher than usual receipt from there, but that's not unusual, as I sometimes forget my lovely purple Tiki coffee cup (sort of in the back there) which gets me discounted refills, or forget to wear my badge from my employer, which also gets me a discount, so it's not like an increase in the price is that strange.

Still, she remembered me. I can't tell you how important that is to me.

11/22/2008

So, not only did Ladybug not get her night out, we got in a huge argument about money and I ended up sleeping on the couch because I called her a penny-pinching accountant who couldn't get her own financial affairs in order without a government bailout.

Just kidding.

I did end up sleeping on the couch, but it was because Lotus slept on the couch last night. She's got a wicked bad case of strep, and was puking most of the afternoon and evening. So, we told her she could sleep on the couch, which is near one of our bathrooms, rather than sleep on the top of her bunk bed, where getting to the bathroom would probably take too long and result in a lot of mess. There was plenty of mess anyway, but at least I didn't have to climb a ladder to clean it up.

She really liked WALL-E, though, so that's good. She also learned the finer points of falling asleep with the TV on, and how it can be fun to sleep on the couch, provided no one is angry at you.

Seriously, though, while the government is handing out cash to morons who knowingly ran their companies into the ground, we could use some of that cash, too.

11/21/2008

11/20/2008

Tomorrow, Ladybug is going out someplace with my sister, leaving me at home with the three kids for the evening. This will mark the first time that's happened.

Ever.

Not by my choice, mind you, more that Ladybug hasn't had the energy or plan or desire to abandon all three kids to me for any length of time up to now. She needs, nay, deserves a night off, given all that she's been doing, adjusting to not having a job to go to every day, managing the house, learning to tolerate the kids 24x7 (something I don't have to do, and didn't do well with when I was on vacation just after 3White was born).

11/19/2008

If you're going to fly to Washington to beg for free taxpayer money for your failing company, don't do it in a private jet. Or at least do it in one private jet. Or better yet, stay the hell home, sell the jet, and run your company for another month.

Well, I'm officially in busy day mode at work. Plenty to do, not enough time to do it in. One benefit: my contract says if I work over 40 hours they have to pay me. Since they're not signing my timecards for anything over 40 hours, if I work a long day one day, it means I get to take a shorter day later in the week. Works out nicely. So, I'll at least get to go home at about 3 PM on Friday. Huzzah!

11/18/2008

Goldman Sachs' top executives have asked to not get bonuses this year. Finally.

Too bad it took a bunch of interest groups and some pointed questions from Congress to get them to think about how it would look to the people who just got done paying them $10 billion, however unwillingly (at least on my part).

Too bad Citigroup isn't making the same commitment. Especially since they just got done saying they're cutting 52,000 jobs over the next year or so. That's OK, Citigroup! Heaven forbid your top execs should go without another ivory backscratcher while your workers fall destitute before Christmas. It might just be time for me to cancel my credit cards . . .